Many grooving and cut off tool structures are known in the art and the structures vary widely, depending upon whether grooving is the primary operation of the tool or a cut off operation is the primary operation of the tool.
When such structures are involved in a cut off operation, the structures must compensate for two competing efficiency factors that are seemingly opposed to one another. First, in a cut off tool, it is desirable to make the cut as thin as possible in order not to waste the material which is being severed. The waste of such material can be quite large in certain manufacturing operations where extremely long bars of material are cut up into discrete shorter segments.
Competing with the idea that waste is to be minimal when such bars are cut up into discrete shorter segments is the idea that in a cut off operation it is most efficient when done as rapidly as possible. In order to achieve a rapid cut off operation, the relative speeds and feeds are increased to a level that substantial forces from the workpiece are exerted upon the blade of the cut off tool.
Since it has been pointed out already above, the cut off tool or blade should be as thin as possible, it is then understandable that there is an upper limit of forces which the relatively thin blade can withstand without buckling and, therefore, the rapidity in which the cut off operation is performed has an upper limit coinciding with the buckling strength of the relatively thin cut off blade.
It is preferable, when providing a structure for a cut off tool, that the structure be able to accept a wide variety of diameters of workpieces which are to be severed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively thin tool support blade while substantially enhancing its buckling strength.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an easily replaceable cut off tool unit in order to provide a very efficient cut off operation on many large diameter workpieces.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cut off tool having a replaceable cutting tip which is firmly mounted on the end of the relatively thin tool support blade.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a cut off tool whose rigidity is severely enhanced with the addition of a reinforcing support block while still providing clearance for larger diameter workpieces.